Tampa Garden Wedding | Davis Islands Garden Club Wedding
Chelsey and Andy’s romantic Tampa garden wedding featured an outdoor ceremony and vintage touches.
“The theme of my wedding evolved over time as I started to look at décor and started planning. I wanted it to feel inviting and warm, yet elegant and classy,” the bride explained. “I initially started out with a vintage theme, but I would say that ultimately it was more of a shabby chic, romantic garden theme. A lot of my décor was DIY or purchased from craft stores and Etsy.”
The Tampa couple chose a soft, pastel palette of blush pink, champagne and sea mist green to complement their easygoing personalities.
“My husband and I are both very similar in that we are not super boisterous people. We are the more laid back, sentimental types,” the bride shared. “We really wanted to capture an atmosphere that would demonstrate the love we had for each other, and we weren’t really looking to show off how extravagant we could make our wedding.”
When it came to hiring a Tampa wedding photographer, Chelsey and Andy looked for someone who matched their style preferences.
“I wanted our wedding photography to be clean, crisp, and clear. I was looking for high quality photography, and I like natural, candid photos. I don’t like super doctored, super edited photos,” the bride explained. “I shopped quite extensively for a wedding photographer, and I quickly found out how expensive photography can be. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice on quality on pictures that last a lifetime, but I didn’t want to break the bank either. Kristen of Kristen Marie Photography was excellent! She was very professional and had a lot of experience, so everything flowed really nicely. I was so happy with the pictures. They truly turned out amazing and all of our friends and family rave about them all the time.”
MORE: KRISTEN MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY WEDDINGS
Looking back, the bride’s most memorable moments were the ones leading up to her wedding ceremony.
“From putting on my dress in the hotel, to seeing my dad for the first time, to seeing my husband during our first look, to right before my dad walked me down the aisle, there was so much laughter and happy tears in these moments,” Chelsea reminisced.
How would you describe your theme?
The theme of my wedding evolved over time as I started to look at décor and started planning.I initially started out with a vintage theme, but I would say that ultimately it was more of a shabby chic, romantic garden theme. A lot of my décor was DIY or purchased from craft stores and Etsy. I wanted it to feel inviting and warm, yet elegant and classy. I wanted to keep it simple but detailed.
What were your colors?
Blush pink, champagne and sea mist green. I choose the colors because I liked the soft, pastel palette and with the champagne; I just thought it was so elegant and subtle.
The Proposal:
Andy proposed when we went for a weekend getaway to a very secluded resort and spa in central Florida. I was completely surprised and not expecting it. It was nice, being just the two of us. That night after dinner, we went out for a walk. We were both standing by the fire, and when I turned around Andy was down on one knee asking me to marry him. It was perfect and so intimate.
What did you look for in a wedding photographer?
I wanted our wedding photography to be clean, crisp, and clear. I was looking for high quality photography, and I like natural, candid photos. I don’t like super doctored, super edited photos. I didn’t want them to look ‘Instagramed
I shopped quite extensively for a wedding photographer, and I quickly found out how expensive photography can be and that I had expensive tastes. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice on quality on pictures that last a lifetime, but I didn’t want to break the bank either. Kristen of Kristen Marie Photography had the quality I was looking for, but not super expensive. I thought Kristen was excellent! She was very professional and had a lot of experience, so everything flowed really nicely. I was so happy with the pictures. They truly turned out amazing and all of our friends and family rave about them all the time.
What did you look for in a wedding caterer?
I was looking for quality good food at a reasonable price.
I wanted to go the buffet route, so I got quotes from a couple different caterers. Ultimately, I went with Olympia Catering because they had a comfortable price point, great reviews, have been in business for a long time and they came highly recommended from other previous brides. Olympia did an amazing job. There’s definitely a reason why they are one of the best, and they don’t let down that’s for sure. They did everything they said they were going to do (which was a lot already) and then things they didn’t have to do, such as putting away over 100 chairs after the ceremony.
What did you look for in a wedding DJ?
The DJ was the one thing my husband felt strongly about. He didn’t want a “cheesy” DJ, and I definitely agreed! We wanted our guests to have a great time, and the DJ is a huge part of that. We had a wide range of guests, so we wanted someone who could balance that. We wanted somebody professional with a good personality.
I hired Grant Hemond & Associates because they had an excellent track record, have been in business for a long time, have great reviews online and they are very professional.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay Brides?
Have a detailed timeline for your day of. You really want to cover all your bases. Communicate with all your vendors and have it planned out to a “T” for the big day, that way on the “day of” you can enjoy it like you’re supposed to.
Have a “day of” coordinator to pull all together for you! Worth every penny. You want to be sipping mimosas and laughing with your girls, while you’re getting ready and not on the phone with vendors stressing about whatever is going on at the venue during set up.
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Davis Islands Garden Club
Photographer: Kristen Marie Photography *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Planner: Jessica Fasso
Florist: The Cottage Florist
Caterer: Olympia Catering *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Cake: Olympia Catering *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates – Jeff Tarquinto *Marry Me Tampa Bay Preferred Wedding Pro
Officiant: Scott Collins
Invitations: Tampa Calligraphy
Transportation: Olympus Limo
Dress Shop and Designer: The White Magnolia Bridal Collection – Mikaella Bridal
Bridesmaid Dress Shop and Designer: Alfred Angelo
Hair & Makeup: Destiny & Light Hair and Makeup
